Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
Encyclopedia
The cream-coloured giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis) is a large tree squirrel
in the genus Ratufa found in Brunei
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, and Thailand
. It is probably extinct in Singapore
, as no recent sightings have been made. Reported sightings in Vietnam
in 1984 are considered to be dubious.
in Borneo
(elsewhere its distribution overlaps with that of the black giant squirrel
). It is one of the mammal species found in the extensive Belum-Temengor
forest preserve in the Malaysian state of Perak
, on the Malay Peninsula
.
The cream-coloured giant squirrel makes its home in lower montane and secondary forest
s, frequenting dipterocarp
trees. It rarely enters plantation
s or settlements, preferring the forest. Although this squirrel primarily inhabits the upper canopy of the forest, it will at times come to ground in order to hunt smaller species of squirrels, or to cross gaps in the trees.
Although this squirrel often will make holes in trees for shelter, during the breeding season
it constructs a large globular drey (or nest) in tree branches, roughly the size of an eagle
’s aerie
. The young are born and raised in this nest.
The main dietary habits of Ratufa affinis are seeds, which it supplements with leaves, fruits, nuts, bark, insects, and eggs. The squirrel has a very short thumb that it uses to hold and control its food while feeding.
Unlike other tree squirrels, the cream-coloured giant squirrel does not sit upright with its tail arched over its back while feeding; instead, it balances itself with its hind feet on a branch so that its hands are free to control its food. In this position the axis of the squirrels body is held at right angles to the support, with its head and forequarters on one side of the branch, and the tail as a counterweight on the other side.
Tree squirrel
Tree squirrels include over a hundred species that are found on all continents except Antarctica, and are the members of the squirrel family most commonly referred to as "squirrels"...
in the genus Ratufa found in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is probably extinct in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, as no recent sightings have been made. Reported sightings in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in 1984 are considered to be dubious.
Description
Along with its large size, this squirrel's colorful markings, that vary widely from one individual to the next, makes it readily-identifiable and easily-spotted in the wild. The back and head of the body varies from dark brown to gray, and the belly varies from dark yellow to white. The ears are short and round. The adult squirrel's head and body is from 322 to 350 mm (12.7 to 13.8 in) in length, and the tail is 373 to 438 mm (14.7 to 17.2 in) long, with an overall length of 695 to 788 mm (27.4 to 31 in); the weight is between 929 to 1575 g (2 to 3.5 lb).Habitat
This species is the only giant squirrelOriental giant squirrel
Oriental giant squirrels are very large tree squirrels from the genus Ratufa in the subfamily Ratufinae. They are a distinctive element of the fauna of south and southeast Asia.There are four living species of oriental giant squirrels:...
in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
(elsewhere its distribution overlaps with that of the black giant squirrel
Black Giant Squirrel
The black giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa native to the Indomalayan zootope...
). It is one of the mammal species found in the extensive Belum-Temengor
Belum-Temengor
Belum-Temengor is the largest continuous forest complex in Peninsular Malaysia. Specifically, it is located in the Malaysian state of Perak and crosses into Southern Thailand. Belum-Temengor is divided into two sections. Belum is located at up north right by the Malaysia-Thailand border while...
forest preserve in the Malaysian state of Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
.
The cream-coloured giant squirrel makes its home in lower montane and secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s, frequenting dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
trees. It rarely enters plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s or settlements, preferring the forest. Although this squirrel primarily inhabits the upper canopy of the forest, it will at times come to ground in order to hunt smaller species of squirrels, or to cross gaps in the trees.
Behaviour
This species is diurnal, active during morning and evening. They live either in pairs or alone. When it is angry or shocked, it will give a loud sound that can be heard from afar.Although this squirrel often will make holes in trees for shelter, during the breeding season
Breeding season
The breeding season is the most suitable season, usually with favourable conditions and abundant food and water, for breeding among some wild animals and birds . Species with a breeding season have naturally evolved to have sexual intercourse during a certain time of year in order to achieve the...
it constructs a large globular drey (or nest) in tree branches, roughly the size of an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
’s aerie
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
. The young are born and raised in this nest.
The main dietary habits of Ratufa affinis are seeds, which it supplements with leaves, fruits, nuts, bark, insects, and eggs. The squirrel has a very short thumb that it uses to hold and control its food while feeding.
Unlike other tree squirrels, the cream-coloured giant squirrel does not sit upright with its tail arched over its back while feeding; instead, it balances itself with its hind feet on a branch so that its hands are free to control its food. In this position the axis of the squirrels body is held at right angles to the support, with its head and forequarters on one side of the branch, and the tail as a counterweight on the other side.
Taxonomy
The table below lists the nine recognized subspecies of Ratufa affinis, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:| Subspecies | Authority | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|
| R. a. affinis | Raffles (1821) | albiceps, aureiventer, frontalis, interposita, johorensis, klossi, pyrsonota |
| R. a. bancana | Lyon (1906) | none |
| R. a. baramensis | Bonhote (1900) | banguei, dulitensis, lumholtzi, sandakanensis |
| R. a. bunguranensis | Thomas and Hartert (1894) | confinis, nanogigas, notabilis, sirhassenensis |
| R. a. cothurnata | Lyon (1911) | griseicollis |
| R. a. ephippium | Müller (1838) | vittata, vittatula |
| R. a. hypoleucos | Horsfield (1823) | arusinus, balae, catemana, femoralis, masae, nigrescens, piniensis |
| R. a. insignis | Miller (1903) | bulana, carimonensis, condurensis, conspicua |
| R. a. polia | Lyon (1906) | none |
External links
- Pale giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis) - Arkive.org page about this species, includes images.